Review of Bug (2007) by Joey S — 26 Feb 2013

Bug is a bleak psychological thriller/drama that starts off slow, then becomes increasingly dark and unusual until a bloody, intense finale that doesn't end the story very neatly, but is oddly gripping because of just how disturbing it is.

Ashley Judd does a very good job as the gullible protagonist who falls for Michael Shannon's character, who is a paranoid schizophrenic who convinces her that the government has planted blood-sucking bugs in his body while performing experiments on him.

His theories become more preposterous as the movie continues and there are some scenes are incredibly hard to watch, namely one in which he believes there's a bug egg sac implanted in his tooth, but it generally feels just far-fetched enough to work.

It's far from perfect, as the ending isn't completely satisfying and the protagonist is frustratingly gullible at times, but Bug was just dark enough to maintain my interest and surprise me with a very disturbing third act.